A Pit-Stop, Not a Quit-Stop

The following is a devotional on the importance of enduring the race of life, humor included. I hope it encourages you today to pace yourself and take a pit-stop, not a quit-stop!

A Race to Remember

Returning to the cross-country running team after a year-long hiatus in eleventh grade was no small feat. I switched schools my junior year, and the private school I attended that year had no running teams.

Despite my feeble attempts at soccer—not to mention a psychiatric hospitalization for three weeks—my body was out of its element. Returning to my beloved sport of running my senior year at the public school left me discouraged.

In the span of two years, I went from acting as alternate in our regional championships for our varsity team, to bringing up the rear on our JV squad.

My senior year, at the annual EJ Hermann Cross Country Invitational, scores of high school runners gathered for a grand event. Throngs of family, coaches, and teammates cheered us on as the starting gun cracked the brisk autumn air.

Propelling me forward, despite the extra pounds I put on because of my psych meds, was the sheer exhilaration of the challenge.

However, two of the three miles into this leg race, whatever I had eaten earlier didn’t agree with my stomach. Before long, I had cramps the size of Texas and subsequently slowed my canter to a trot, then walk.

As my stomach tied in knots and did flips, I prayed the discomfort would subside.

After the second mile marker, I didn’t want the race to end without me, as fewer and fewer competitors ran by. I recalled the pride and swells of joy I felt the last time I’d run (and won) this race.

Now, at least fifteen pounds heavier accompanied by painful indigestion, I grimaced at the thought of losing pace and being passed. What if I came in last? Or worse, never finished?

At the last bend of the trail race, a most relieving sight appeared, and in more ways than one. Behold—a Porta Potty. The blue phone booth sat on the sideline of the race path, and I dove for cover. Thankfully, it was available.

Not a quit-stop…but a pit-stop.

I popped a squat and did my thing. Exiting the perfectly placed pot, I made a beeline on a wing and a prayer. Please God, help me finish, and not be disqualified.

It wasn’t but a minute more of the race when I crossed that finish line. I exhaled breaths of relief and gratitude, when to my surprise I was told I wasn’t last—just second to last.

Good enough for me. I relished the joy of finishing, agony included, and my persistence paid off. I gained momentum that year in training and within the following season, ran my personal best 5K time ever.

The Weight of Glory

Glory is not a free reward. Faithful overcomers are among those who earn it. Giving up only leaves you empty-handed and disheartened. When you persevere, even when you’re exhausted, look to the Finisher of our faith. He’s already there, waiting expectantly for us to cross the finish line.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2, NKJV).

Let’s Pray

Dear Father,

Thank you for the example of perseverance in Your Son’s life, death, and resurrection. Continue to grant me the grace and strength to follow His lead in my life and take breaks when necessary. Help me find rest in Your promises, and give me rejuvenated determination and joy for the journey ahead.

In Jesus’s name, amen.

Discussion Questions

1. How have you handled times in your life that you felt like giving up and quitting? What or who helped you get through them?
2. What can you do to not only embolden your faith, but encourage another fellow “competitor” in the race of life?